The Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs has called a news conference for today after an “incident of violence” at the Food Fare on Portage Avenue that it says “resulted in the hospitalization of multiple staff.”
The assembly issued a notice about the incident that it says took place Tuesday, without giving details.
Police confirmed there is an “ongoing investigation” but wouldn’t elaborate. A photo posted to social media showed three cruiser cars parked outside the store.
The Food Fare outlet has been the site of a few incidents between staff and suspected shoplifters.
Last month, store owners suspended a supervisor after an altercation with an Indigenous woman who was accused of stealing.
Security footage, which was viewed by the Free Press, showed the employee pulling on the woman’s bag. The woman appears to swing her fist at the employee before the staffer appears to punch her in the face.
In response, the assembly, which provides food orders and vouchers to clients under a federal government program, announced it had severed its relationship with the grocer, but was willing to reconcile if an apology was forthcoming.
In its release Tuesday evening, the assembly said it’s “working closely with the owners of Food Fare, who have expressed their sincere apologies for a previous incident where a woman was injured by security at their store. In response, the owners have agreed to implement cultural sensitivity training for their staff and to draft a comprehensive policy to address shoplifting.”
It said speakers at today’s news conference would include Grand Chief Cathy Merrick, Munther Zeid, owner of Food Fare, as well as Tarik Zeid and Wajih Zeid.
On May 5, a Winnipeg woman said she witnessed another incident involving an employee.
Gloria Enns was stopped at a red light at Portage Avenue and Arlington Street at about 3 p.m. when she saw two men fighting. One was wearing a red apron that she recognized as a Food Fare uniform.
Enns said she called the store and an employee confirmed a worker confronted an individual after seeing him steal meat.
Food Fare manager Tarik Zeid told the Free Press no one was physically hurt and the employee was “defending the store and the merchandise.”
Security footage from the store, which was viewed by the Free Press, appears to show a man take two packages of steaks and slip them into a reusable bag. The employee confronted him at the entrance of the store and tugged on the bag in his hand.
— Free Press Staff
